Sydney Rye Mystery Box Set, Books 1-3

By: Emily Kimelman

Narrated by: Sonja Field

My dog once took a bullet that was intended for me. A bullet that ripped through his chest, narrowly missing his heart, and exited through his shoulder blade. This left him unconscious on the floor of my home. Amazingly, this bullet did not kill him.

Ten years ago, I adopted Blue after I broke up with my boyfriend one hot, early summer night with the windows open and the neighborhood listening. The next morning I went straight to the pound in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Articles on buying your first dog tell you never to buy a dog on impulse. Going to the pound because you need something in your life that's worth holding onto is rarely, if ever, mentioned. I asked the man at the pound to show me the biggest dogs they had. He showed me some Rottweiler-German Shepherd puppies that he said would grow to be quite large. Then he showed me a six-month-old Shepherd that would get pretty big. Then he showed me Blue, the largest dog they had. He was as tall as a Great Dane, with the snout of a Collie, the markings of a Siberian husky, the ears and tail of a shepherd and the body of a wolf, with one blue eye and one brown.

Crouched in a sitting position, unable to lie down, unable to sit all the way up, he looked at me from between the bars, and I fell in love. "I'll tell you, lady, he's pretty but he's skittish. He sheds, and I mean sheds. I don't think you want this dog," the man told me. But, I knew I had to have him. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I brought Blue home, and we lived together for years. He was, for most of our relationship, my only companion. But, when I first met Blue, a lifetime ago now, I had family and friends. I worked at a crappy coffeehouse. I was young and lost; I was normal.

Back then, at the beginning of this story, before I'd ever seen a corpse, before Blue saved my life, before I felt what it was like to kill someone in cold blood, I was still Joy Humbolt. I'd never even heard the name Sydney Rye.

P.S. The dog doesn't die.

©2016 Emily Kimelman (P)2016 Emily Kimelman

Finally gave up.

Made it to book 3. Finally threw up my hands. I don’t mind sex. I don’t mind violence (as long as it’s not against the dogs).

I allowed a lot for this book, feeling a bit of shame for wanting to chuck it after the first book. But during the third book when she’s known a guy for 10 minutes and they’re gonna have sex, I finally just said screw it (intended).

I had to start out by increasing the speed to 1.1. The reader was driving me crazy. That helped a little but the content, the reader couldn’t improve on. Sydney Rye is just not a person I’d want to know.

The first 37 chapters are book one. Too long and a disagreeable lead.

I am on to books 2 and 3. The reviews say it will be better. I hope so. Definitely not my cup of tea.

good listen

I enjoyed these 3 stories I don't know if I want to commit to doing all 11 or so books now but I'll get them a few at a time

I’m hooked! Not your usual formula

I’m glad I got the box it because I read all three and now I’m hooked. It’s important to realize the first one is an origin story and the mood changes halfway through. The next two I have extremely fun plots with action and twists and tough women who don’t apologize for who they are.

I was expecting the usual amateur detective formula (which I admit I like) but these plots are unexpected.

Great escape book

Strong female characters fight through danger and end up succeeding. Lots of twists and turns, very enjoyable. Great narrator.